Almond, Badam - 0.5 kg Seeds

Almond or badam (Prunus dulcis) is a small deciduous tree of the rose family that grows 4-10 m tall, with lance-shaped leaves and a beautiful early-spring flush of pale pink to white blossom before the foliage appears. The fruit is a leathery green drupe that splits to release the familiar edible almond nut inside its pitted shell. In India it is grown commercially in the temperate valleys of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, where the winters are cold enough to satisfy its chilling requirement.

It is cultivated above all for its nutritious, oil-rich nuts, eaten raw, roasted or pressed for almond oil, and the tree is also planted as an ornamental for its spectacular spring flowering. The wood is occasionally used for small turnery, and the species is well adapted to dry, stony hill slopes once established.

• Family: Rosaceae
• Native region: Western and Central Asia
• Mature height: 4-10 m
• Growth rate: Moderate

Sowing the seed: almond seed needs a cold period to break dormancy, so cold-stratify the kernels in moist sand in a refrigerator for about 6-8 weeks, or sow in late autumn so winter chilling does it naturally. Sow the seed roughly 3-5 cm deep in deep, well-drained pots or beds; germination follows in about 21-30 days after chilling. Transplant carefully when seedlings are sturdy, and note that named varieties are usually grafted rather than seed-raised.